Silence Speaks Louder Than Words
by SillyEms
Summary: Cowboy Nathan finds an abandoned Haley in a godforsaken house in the middle of nowhere. What has happened, and what secrets will be revealed...?
1. Chapter 1

HI

**HI! This is a story I'm posting on OTHC too, but I'd love to know what you all think! I totally depend on replies, so that I can change things and get better. Thank you all for taking the time to read this! )**

**Ems**

_**Chapter One**_

The gentle breeze blew through his slightly ruffled hair. His half open shirt fitted his taunt chest, tightening in all the right places. The moon was shining and illuminated the path in front of him. There wasn't much noise; the only thing that could be heard was the steady trotting of his horse. He was a cowboy, but for no particular reason. He worked for no one, had no animals and absolutely no responsibility except for his horse.

He pulled a hand through his hair and sighed. He liked this time of the day; or rather night. The temperature wasn't boiling like it was during the day, and it let him cool off. The cowboy hat he'd been wearing had finally been taken off, and he enjoyed the feeling of wind on his head and hair. His jeans were faded and thick, but they did get too hot during midday. The shirt he was wearing was originally black, but all that time in the sun had faded it to more of a greyish colour. He rode through the desert day in and day out, not quite sure what for. He knew that he was looking for something; he just didn't know what it was.

Suddenly, a small, black dot became visible and he squinted to try to make out what it was. No such luck… He urged his horse forward, galloping towards the unknown black dot in the distance. As he got closer, the dot grew and soon he was pretty sure that it was a house of some sort.

He was almost there when he saw something that looked like movement in one of the windows upstairs, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. Getting off the horse quietly, he kept his gaze on the window. The horse gave a low snort.

"Shh…" he whispered as he patted the horse. "Be quiet Ziva…"

The house looked as if it were a wind blow away from being firewood; it was so old and damaged. At one point, it must have been a gorgeous house, but time had not been kind to it. It also looked as if there had been a fire and the damages were pretty severe. He walked up what was left of the front steps, his boots making a hollow sound in the tired wood. He looked down nervously, but continued walking. The front door was closed, but not locked, so he went straight in and looked around.

'Wow' he thought. The damages were much worse on the inside; everything just looked black. Parts of the ceiling was gone, the floor definitely wouldn't hold much longer, the walls were trying their best not to fall apart. They were failing. All of the furniture that must have been there had transformed into piles of grey ash that rested on the floorboard.

He wondered carefully around on the first floor, speculating on what drew him to this place. Along the way, he had seen plenty of abandoned houses, so why was this so different? Why did he have a feeling there was something that was wrong here? Then he heard a sound from upstairs and he froze. Making his way silently towards the stairs, or what was left of them, he listened intently for another sound. Nothing. Very nervously, he climbed up the stairs.

"Hello?" he said and waited for an answer. Still nothing. "Is anyone here?"  
A whimper. He was absolutely sure he had heard someone whimper nearby. Looking around, he decided that it must have come from the room at the very end and he inched his way towards it slowly. The door was slightly open, and as he pushed it, it creaked loudly. As he entered the room, he was a little shocked. This room looked almost untouched by whatever damages there had been to the rest of the house.

There was a bed in the middle of the room, a dressing table and a closet. The walls were painted a dark blue, and the curtains were open. Behind the bed, he was pretty sure he could see the top of a head. Slowly, the head peaked up from behind the bed, and it didn't look happy. In fact, the arms that belonged to that head were pointing a rifle at him. He couldn't help but notice that she was extremely beautiful; her rough but golden hair framing her pale, porcelain skin and her very confused brown eyes. She was wearing a nightgown that was several sizes too big for her, and he couldn't help himself from looking.

"I'm not going to hurt you" he said and put his arms up in surrender. The woman said nothing. She must be around 20 he thought. He had never been very good with people, but in his 24 years on this Earth, he had learned a few things. One of these things was that you should surrender when someone points a rifle at you.

A few minutes went by, and nothing happened. Her eyes bored into his; studying whether he was safe or not. Slowly, the rifle was lowered and soon placed on the floor.

"There we go…" he said and smiled. "My name is Nathan Scott. I just saw some movement up here, and I thought I ought to check it out. I really had no idea there was someone living here. What's your name, and why are you living here? Obviously, it's going to fall apart any day now…"

The woman said nothing. She just looked at him and sat down on the bed before waving him over. Nathan carefully sat down next to her and wondered what she was going to do. Her eyes bored into his again, this time they were searching for answers. To what, she didn't know… He shifted nervously, wondering what he was supposed to do and how to react to this.

"Who are you?" he asked. Her mouth twitched, but she didn't open it. Something about this woman definitely intrigued him…

He waited for her to respond, instead she just sat there. Her lips moved a couple of times, but never long enough for there to develop a sound. She started cracking her fingers and licked her lips. Nathan sat there and watched her, wondering what was with her. He decided to try another question.

"How long have you been living here?" he asked. Her head shot up and she looked deep into his eyes. Absolute silence. Then she looked away again. Carefully, she got off of the bed and walked over to the window. The floorboards creaked menacingly but she paid no attention to them. She looked out, and her head shot back to his. There was a look of terror in her eyes.

"What?" Nathan asked. "What's wrong?"

She pointed outside; to the horse. Nathan got up carefully and peered out the window to se what she was looking at. At first, he couldn't understand why she was acting all frantic; it was only a horse… And then it hit him.

"Are you afraid of horses?" he asked her. She hung her head low and moved away from the window, shivering slightly. Nathan chuckled, causing the woman's head to shoot up and her face had an angry expression. She squinted her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest before slouching down on the bed. He felt bad immediately, and went over to her. Crouching down so his face was level with hers, he rested his hand on her knee and looked her in the eyes.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at you, but I promise that Ziva is far from dangerous. Look, I don't want to invade your privacy or anything, but a woman shouldn't be alone in a damaged and unlocked house… The desert is dangerous, as is this house. I think it is best that I stay here tonight, and then get you somewhere safe tomorrow. Okay?"

Her eyes looked, if possible, even angrier. She shook her head and lay down on the bed to stare at the ceiling. Nathan had to admit that he was a little taken aback. She was most certainly tough. And stubborn. Frowning slightly, he got up and walked over to where her head was.

"No what? No, I can't stay here? Nod if I can stay here."

The woman nodded and gave a hint of a smile. Only a hint, though… Nathan then presumed that she either didn't want to leave, or didn't want to leave with him. He decided to find out.

"So, do you not want to leave?" he asked. Immediately he could see pain flash through her eyes, mixed with anger. She shook her head violently before shifting slightly in her bed. Then she turned over, so that her back was now to him. He couldn't help but notice that her nightgown rode up a bit; showing her smooth legs. He groaned quietly. When he heard a low sob escape her mouth, he walked to the other side of the bed.

She was crying… Tears were spilling out of her eyes, and every now and then, she would let out a small sob. Nathan was stunned. He really didn't know how to handle a crying woman; in fact he didn't know how to handle women at all… He thought they were way too complicated, and tried to steer clear of them. He had, of course, had his fun with them, but he hated that word that begun with and r- and ended with –elationship.

"Please don't cry…" he whispered softly and put his hand on hers. She immediately pulled away and sat up in the bed. Once again, anger shot from her eyes and she clenched her jaw. Nathan didn't notice, but her hand sneaked out to the night side table and grabbed hold of a wooden candle stick. She held it tightly in her hand before swinging it around to hit his side.

"Ouch!" he screamed in pain before sitting down on the floor, clutching his side. The woman took this opportunity to swing the candle stick at his head, and Nathan fainted…

His head pounded and he groaned as re-gained consciousness. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw the woman leaning over him. She took something from next to him and patted his head with it. As she leaned over him, her nightgown revealed the top of her chest and Nathan gulped. He closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying desperately to control himself. After all, she did hit him over the head with a candle stick!

"Ugh…" he groaned as he sat up and looked around. He was now on her bed, and he wondered how the hell she had gotten him there. There was still a steady thumping in his head, and he cursed her under his breath. He looked around to see where she had gone to, and he saw her hunched in a corner. She was staring straight at the wall, and she seemed completely lost in her own word.

He got up and sat down next to her. She didn't seem to notice, even when he sighed a little. He looked at her, studying her features. The way her chest heaved, how her eyelids hardly moved when she blinked and how her lips looked so extremely plump and inviting. 'No' he thought to himself. 'I can't think about her this way'

"You know, that really hurt." Nathan said and looked at her. The sound of his voice seemed to startle her, and she was torn out of her gaze. She looked at him before looking down at the floor. And then she burst into tears again… Nathan was shocked and had absolutely no idea what to do, so he did the first thing he could think of; he pulled her into a hug. He let her cry into his chest and comforted her as best he could.

"I wonder what happened to you…" he whispered to her. "And I wonder why you don't talk. You can speak, can't you?"

She looked at him and shrugged her shoulders a little. He saw the confusion in her eyes and he couldn't help but hope he'd hear her beautiful voice just once…


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all sooooo much for the feedback

**Thank you all sooooo much for the feedback! I'm so glad you like this, and I'll continue updating it then :) **

**-Ems**

_**Chapter 2**_

He sat there and stared at her for the longest time; studying her features. He thought it fascinating to just watch her; everything she did intrigued him. She brought her hand up to her face and started chewing nervously on her nails whilst her expression turned into a frown.

She turned her head sideways and looked at him. Nathan wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do, so he simply sat there and stared into her eyes. Then he saw her whole body cringe and she closed her eyelids sharply before bringing her hands to her head. Rocking back and forth, she moaned in pain before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she blacked out.

Not knowing what just happened or what to do, Nathan panicked. He started shaking her, calling out random names to see if she reacted. He jumped to his feat and searched frantically for something to help wake her up with. His eyes landed on a bowl of water that stood on her night table and grabbed it; pouring it over her face as he reached her again.

"Wake up…!" he hissed and shook her again. Very slowly, her eyes began to flutter open and she sat up. Nathan let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.

"You know, you really scared me there… Come on; let's get you to your bed. We don't want anything like that to happen again." he said and hoisted her up onto his arms like she weighed nothing. At first, she struggled a little, but when he out her down gently on the bed, she gave a small smile of appreciation.

"You're welcome…" Nathan said softly and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Her eyes closed at the touch and he couldn't deny the way her soft skin felt on his fingers. Sheer perfection….

"Obviously you're not going to tell me your name, so I'm just going to have to guess." he said after a few moments of silence. Her eyes seemed to sparkle just a little at his comment, something that didn't go unnoticed by Nathan and he smiled. After pondering a bit, he decided to give it a go.

"I don't know what a beautiful woman like you, Angela, is doing here all alone. And I sure don't understand what you're so afraid of… I wonder why you won't let me help you." he whispered. She smiled and raised her eyebrow at him before shaking her head. Nathan growled and started pondering. He wondered what name to try next.

"Can I tell you something, Bethany?" he asked and watched to see her reaction. She gave a little smile and nodded carefully. She was still lying on the bed, fingering the hem of her nightgown slightly. Nathan gulped and he wondered if she knew how crazy she was driving him. He rubbed his hands on his jeans and tried to concentrate on her eyes, but found it very hard…

"So, your name's Bethany?"

And then she laughed… Nathan could hardly believe his own ears; it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard. It filled up the whole room, without being too loud or forced at all. It made him smile, but most of all, it just made him want to kiss her… When her laughter died down she shook her head again, letting him know her name wasn't Bethany. Nathan frowned but decided to guess more later. What he liked so much abut her already, was that she seemed so open and caring. He wanted to tell her everything.

"I guess not… But can I still tell you something?" Nathan asked and moved closer to her. She smiled and nodded. Obviously, there was going to be a lot of that if she weren't to talk at all. He took a deep breath and looked down at his lap. Could he really open up to her? Could he really just let everything out to someone he hardly knew? He decided that he would, he didn't have anything to loose…

"Maybe it's strange to be telling you this, but I just really miss someone to talk to. You must get lonely too sometimes, if you live here all alone… Anyway, I used to have a family. My mom and dad, my sister, my brother and I used to be just one big, happy family. But do you know what happened? I went out one day to school, and when I came home they were gone… They just left. There was a note in the kitchen that just said 'Sorry'. That was it. I was left alone at fifteen. So I sold the house and finished school. Then I bought Ziva and started riding around, and I've been doing it ever since. I don't know if I'm looking for them, or what I'm doing. I know something happened to you too, and I hope you can tell me sometime…"

He couldn't believe he'd just said all of that to her; he'd never told anything about his past. And how much it had hurt him to be left, just like that. She sat up in bed and slowly brought her hand to his cheek. He closed hi eyes at the contact and leaned into her touch. When she stopped, he opened his eyes and looked at her. It took everything in him not to kiss her, but he managed to contain himself. She gave him a sad smile and leaned into him more. Closing the distance between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. He buried his head in her hair and inhaled, wanting to take in her scent.

When she pulled away, he felt sort of cold. Like there was something missing. She was still very close, and staring into his eyes. Stroking her hair a little, he pulled her into another hug, but made sure he didn't hold on too long. He didn't want to scare her or intimidate her in any way.

"Thank you…" he whispered and felt her grip tighten on him slightly.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi…

**Hi…! Wow. I'm blown away with your absolutely wonderful replies! I'm so glad you like this, and I feel honoured to have such loyal readers. You're the best. And I must say that it was totally out of the blue. There are so many who have but this on 'story alert', and reviewed, so everyone: THANK YOU. I love you all. And I know these chapters are kinda short, but… that's life. You choose; short chapters updated often, or longer chapters much less often. So, I hope there are no bad feelings. :)**

**And trust me, DRAMA is coming. Soon. This is just the gentle beginning… ;)**

_**Chapter 3**_

When they finally pulled apart, Nathan saw her yawning and she looked very tired. He gently pushed her down on the bed and pulled the covers over her before stroking her hair for a while. It was obvious that she was minutes away from dreamland, and he carefully got off the bed and lay down on the floor. Propping himself on his elbows so he could get a slight view of the beautiful, near sleeping, woman he whispered softly:

"And I'm here too, if you need me"

He saw her nodding slightly; eyes still closed. Then she tapped the bed lightly and he figured she wanted him to sleep next to her. He climbed in next to her; not quite sure what to do with his hands. Deciding he'd leave her be for the time being, he slept on his back with his hands folded on his chest. The woman lying next to him couldn't help but notice how his arms flexed every time he moved, and how his shirt seemed just a little too small for his chest; making it look like it was just going to burst open any second…

Waking up from the sunlight pouring into the room; the woman sat up and looked around. No sign of her 'stranger', and she couldn't help but wonder if it had all been some kind of messed up dream. When she heard noise from outside though, it made her think again. She carefully peered out of the window, scared that she would see the horse. However, she was very pleasantly surprised when she saw what was going on in front of her house…

Nathan was outside, chopping wood and looking very masculine. He had taken his shirt off, and the sweat was dripping off of his bare chest. He was wearing his cowboy hat, jeans and boots. He looked up and winked at her, before returning to his work. She stayed by the window and looked at him for a while, not quite wanting to turn away…

"Wow! This smells delicious!" Nathan said. It was lunchtime, and 'Sarah', witch was the current name Nathan was using on her, had used some of the wood that he had chopped to make a fire and prepare a meal. Since she had a shortage in supplies, this meal consisted of soup and beans. She looked up at him and smiled; knowing he was just being polite. It was, however, her first hot meal in a very long time. Because she never learned how to chop wood, she'd never been able to take use of the huge, cut down trees that had been rotting in her backyard.

Since the kitchen had completely burned down, they'd had to eat outside. This was fine, because the house provided shade from the blazing sun, so that they could sit against the wall and enjoy the break. Nathan was still not wearing a shirt, something 'Teresa', which was his latest name guessing attempt, didn't mind at all…

After finishing their meal, Nathan thought it'd be a good idea to fill up the water supply. With the amount of water he'd been drinking, he had almost drunk her whole supply. It reminded him that he hadn't actually figured out where she was getting her water. He tried to think if he'd seen a well close by, or a river for that matter.

"I noticed you're running out of water, where is your supply?" he asked. She turned and motioned for him to get up, before following suit. They started walking, and Nathan didn't quite understand where they were going. After about ten minutes, he was positive he could hear some sort of quite rustling near by. Sure enough, another ten minutes and they were in clear view of a small river. The area around was significantly greener, and it looked quite clean, actually.

After filling the water buckets that were kept by the river, they started carrying them home. She was carrying four; something that greatly surprised Nathan. He could see her begin to sweat, and her white cotton dress was getting very see through… He had to concentrate a lot to keep his focus. She too was struggling, the sweat was dripping from every part of his body, and when he walked in front of her, she could see the muscles in his clench and un-clench. He had changed into jeans that were cut off mid thigh, and showed of his very amazing leg muscles…

Returning to the house, they placed the buckets of water in the coolest area of the house; the basement. Nathan couldn't help but notice that she was quite uneasy down there, and ran back up as quickly as possible. He frowned and looked around to see if he could notice anything out of the ordinary or something that would creep her out. But all that was there were the half-burned stairs and a lot of buckets.

He walked upstairs to find her crouched in one of the corners, hugging her knees and sobbing loudly. He rushed over to her and tried to comfort her, but with little luck. It was as if she couldn't hear him; she just sat there and sobbed endlessly. Running a hand through his still damp hair, he started to get frustrated… He didn't know how much of this he could stand.

After a few minutes of result less comforting, he gave up and walked upstairs. Looking back towards the sobbing girl, he sighed. She was rocking back and forth, her knees as close to her face as they could get. He changed into his long jeans, and put on his shirt and hat. Five minutes later, you could hear the steady galloping of his horses' hoofs…

The woman was left in the house, completely lost in her own head. Terrible memories of that frightful night flooded into her head and made it hurt like hell. Clutching her head and falling onto the floor; she screamed. This was the first time she'd used her voice, really used it, since that awful day. She knew she was about to pass out as the terrible, frightening darkness took over her consciousness…

Nathan was having a very heated argument. With himself. He didn't know what to do; this woman confused him so. On one hand; he couldn't just leave her! She was obviously in need of care and human contact. On the other hand; she wasn't his responsibility. If something bad had happened to her, then that was sad. But it wasn't his fault. Besides, he had better things to do.

'Like what?' came one of his inner voices and he deeply annoyed himself when he could come up with no good answer for that question… He pulled out his whiskey bottle and took a long swig of it before kicking the sand in frustration. The sun was getting unbearably hot, so he ripped his shirt off and used it to wipe the sweat off of his face before tying it around the horses' mane.

He trotted back towards the house slowly; wanting to be sure he'd made the right decision. As soon as he heard her scream; he jumped off f the horse and started running. Why he was panicking so much, he didn't know. He found her passed out on the floor, a look of terror on her face.

"This can't be happening again…" he muttered in frustration and shook her gently; urging her to wake up. Grabbing a bucket that hadn't been carried to the basement, he threw it over her and watched as she slowly woke up; blinking a lot. Then he gulped and tried his absolute best to focus completely on her face, but found it very hard; the water had made her dress completely see through and she wasn't wearing a bra…

He felt the temperature rise very quickly as he stared at her breasts through the thin material and his hands itched to touch her. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and when he opened the, he focused in her eyes. She was almost completely conscious now, and he had to contain himself so he really didn't scare her off.

"Hey… You okay?" he asked and placed his hand under her head to support her neck. She nodded and started getting up on her feet. Then she looked down on herself, and her expression changed in seconds. Her face and neck turned a very deep red, and she tried to cover herself up before she made a dash for the stairs. The floorboards made a terrible squeaking sound before they gave in and she tumbled through the air before landing with a sickening crunch in the basement. Nathan panicked and made his way down as quickly as possible and ran to the heap of wood and dust where she was buried…


	4. Chapter 4

Oh, you guys are the best

**Oh, you guys are the best. SKITTLES! Hi, girl. **

**Anywho, please know that I cherish every friggin' word of your reply; they mean so much to me. You guys rovk, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter! **

**Chapter 4**

He heard movement from underneath the heap, and quickly moved towards it. The planks were heavier than he thought, but he moved them away as quickly as possible; trying to find her. Then he saw a glimse of some white cotton, and pulled on it. Sure enough; soon he found a leg and grabbed it before shuffling the planks that were hiding the rest of her body. She groaned and whimpered; barely conscious. Lifting her gently in his arms; he made his way upstairs and laid her on the floor.

''Shhh...'' he whispered. ''It's going to okay. You're safe. Does anything hurt?''  
She nodded gently, and her hand flew to her head. Her face scrunched up and a few tears escaped her eyes. He knew he'd have to place something cool on her head, and sicne his shirt was on his horse, he ripped a piece of cloth from her dress and dipped it in a nearby bucket before placing it on her forehead. She closed her eyes and it seemed it was doing her good. He relaxed a little.

''Any better?'' he asked. She nodded nad sat up slowly. Not knowing quite what to do; he got up and stared at the hole where the stairs had been. Deciding that he had to come up with a new way to get upstairs; he started thinking of solutions. An idea popped into his head, and he ran down to the basement; collecting some of the bigger planks and carrying them back up. The woman just sat and watched him; facinated by the way he seemed so determined and wrapped up in his work. Neither noticed that it was beginning to get late, and cold.

''There'' he said; a very clear note of satisfaction in his voice. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and stood back to admire his work; a ladder. It was quite nicey built actually, and looked very steady. The woman smiled and nodded aprovingly. That's when Nathan noticed all the cuts she had, and cursed. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen them; they must've hurt like hell! She looked down at her legs and saw the blood that trickled gently down her leg and used the cloth to wipe it up and shrugged.

''You okay?'' Nathan asked. ''Do they hurt much?''  
She shook her head and smiled gently. The truth was; she had been through a lot worse, and this was nothing. That's when she realized...

Panicking; she started running around the room; pulling at her dress and trying to clean up the stuff that was lying around. Nathan looked at her strangely; wondering what was going on and why she was behaving like that. She stopped for a moment and a look of pure terror came upon her face. Nathan listened too, and heard galloping in the distance. Before he could utter a word; he was being pushed into what had been the kitchen, and gasped as the woman seemed to open up... the wall. A very secret door swung open, and Nathan was pushed inside.

He heard steps on the frontporch and someone entering the house. Then he heard a terrible, evil laughter and a loud whimper as someone was thrown into the wall. His fists clenched; knowing it had been 'Jessica'. It sounded like two men in there, both shouting and making loud noises.

''Well Haley, seems you've fallen down the stairs!'' came a cruel and loud mans voice. 'Haley...' He thought. 'So that's her name...'  
He heard her whimper in pain again and a new voice rang through the walls.

''Hurt yourself, have you? You stupid woman.'' it said. This one was deeper and even more cruel sounding than the first one. Nathan had a suspiscion that this was the leader. When he heard Haly cry out in pain for the third time; he decided he'd had enough and he burst through the door and straight into one of the guys. They both looked very surprised, Haley just looked sad.

''Leave her alone'' Nathan sneered. The two guys seemed to find this funny; because they started laughing. One guy was blond, blue eyed and looked fairly strong, although not as strong as Nathan. This was the first man that spoke. The second man seemed quite a bit older, and a hell of a lot stronger. He had dark hair, fierce and intimidating blue eyes and a weary look to his face.

''Or what?'' hissed the first guy. ''We're stronger than you.''  
''Maybe so'' Nathan replied. ''But you see, I have one major advantage.''  
''And what might that be...?'' sniggered the older one.  
''This!'' Nathan shouted and swung a plank in their heads, knocking them both to the ground with a thud.

-

Nathan had recognized the two men; Dan Roe and his son Lucas. They were not someone you wanted to mess with, that was for sure. Nathan hadn't had the 'pleasure' of meeting them up until five minutes ago, but he had heard of them. They harassed families and burned down properties if they didn't get what they want. He had even heard that they kidnapped and killed people, though he'd never had it confirmed. But he didn't like how this looked; them causing Haley so much trouble… He had a sneaking suspicion that they were the reason she was so jumpy and scared.

"fking hell…" the older man groaned as he tried to get up. Nathan kicked him hard in the head; causing him to fall back again. The younger, blonder one was still unconscious, but Nathan wanted to make sure. So he kicked him too.

Haley was biting her lip and fiddling nervously with the hem of her dress. She was absolutely terrified, he could tell. But he had other matters to see to right now. He had to deal with the two unconscious men on the floor. Just as he was about to drag them outside; footsteps are heard on the porch again, and the door is swung open. In walks a tall, muscular, dark haired man in cowboy attire. He looks from Haley to Nathan to Dan and Lucas.

"What the…?" he asks; looking at Haley. Nathan couldn't help but cringe at the way he looked at her; his eyes filled with lust and knowledge. It was like he knew Haley a lot better than he did, and he didn't like it one bit. The way his eyes raked over her body, and the half smile that settled on his mouth made him want to gag. Who was this guy?

Haley looked terrified, to put it mildly. It was obvious that she knew this man in some way, but she didn't seem too fond of him. Nathan took a protective step between them; wanting to shield Haley. The man didn't seem to like this, and his smile turned to a frown. Haley let out a whimper and shrunk further back.

"Hello there, Haley…" the man said. His voice was low and intimidating. "I see you've got yourself a bodyguard." he continued. Then he looked Nathan up and down and snorted. "Of some sort, anyway."

"What do you want?" Nathan snapped; his patience running low.  
"Am I not allowed to se my wife…?"  
"Your wife!?" Nathan asked; his insides churning.  
"Ain't that right, baby?" asked the man; now speaking to Haley. She looked terrified and lost; Nathan was feeling confused and taken aback. He slowly turned towards her and gave her a questioning look. Her eyes fell to the floor and she shifted her feet nervously. Nathans stomach fell to the floor. This was true!? She was married…? This whole thing just got a hell of a lot more complicated…

"Now then, if you'd be so kind as to stop screwing my wife, that would be nice." the man said and took a step forward. Nathans blood started to boil, who the hell was he to talk to him like that!?

"I'm not 'screwing' Haley. She's been living here alone, and I've been helping her these past two days. She is terrified of anything and everything, so I'm pretty sure she's been left here for quite some while…" Nathan sneered. He didn't like this one little bit, something about this man just wasn't right…

"This whore doesn't deserve anyone's attention; she can't even speak!" the man roared. He threw his head back and laughed a cruel and evil laugh; sending chills down Nathans' spine. But anger took over and he punched the man in the nose.

"Do not talk to her like that! She is not a whore! God, you don't deserve her…" Nathan said; spitting in his face after the last sentence. Then he noticed that Lucas had started moving, and drew his attention to him. Haleys' husband seemed astonished that he'd actually been hit; and seemed a little lost in his own world. Haley was eying him suspiciously; it was clear that she didn't trust him.

"You get up, and I swear you'll never walk again…" Nathan hissed at Lucas. He stopped moving, but looked very angry. Nathan wondered how he'd gotten into this mess; a few days ago he'd been free and careless!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello again guys

**Hello again guys! All these compliments are making me cocky. Seriously. I appreciate you all SO MUCH. Shenova and BubblyGirl23… Thank you for the really nice words. And kyrandiana, you're going to find out now… ;)**

Nathan felt the blood in his veins boil and he glared at Haley. How could this be? Had she led him on? And what the fuck were these guys doing to her!? Despite her pleading looks, he stomped outside and saddled Ziva. He couldn't say he hadn't heard her screams, or the loud crashes and bangs and the men laughing, because that would be a lie. He was just so angry that he didn't care. So he galloped away, guilt filled…

Inside lay a bloody and beaten Haley. The boys had hand their fun with her, especially her so called husband. Anthony was his name. The women loved him for his masculinity and good looks and he knew that. It was his fault she no longer spoke. After she had been forced to marry him, she'd simply stopped speaking. As time went by, it was almost as if she'd forgotten how to…

She whimpered and tried to cover herself with the bloody remains of her dress as the guys sniggered and buttoned their jeans. She could barely move; but mostly she was hurt on the inside. She had been a fool and thought that maybe Nathan would be her rescue. She couldn't count the months she'd been cooped up in her burned down house; getting visits from her 'husband' and the Roe's every now and then. She dare not leave; knowing they'd find her somehow. They were powerful and scary; everyone feared them.

-

"Another drink, sir?" asked the bartender. Nathan nodded and looked at the empty glasses in front of him. There were many, to say the least. He'd ridden to the nearest town and found the closest bar. He swore never to think about her again. She'd used him, right? Somehow, that feeling of guilt didn't leave him. Her scream haunted his mind. The way those men had looked at her made him sick to the stomach, and her eyes… Her pleading eyes…

"STOP IT!" he yelled and slammed his hands in his head. "Stop it! Stop it, stop it!"  
The people around him stared at him and whispered, but he didn't care. Stumbling out of the bar; he cursed and muttered to himself. Wondering how his life had become such a mess.

The sweat dripped from his forehead and he wiped it away with his sleeve. Rubbing his temples, he tried to figure out what to do next. Hide? Run? Or go back…? He kicked the dirt and sat down with his head buried in his hands. The alcohol was seriously getting to his head now, and he started to feel dizzy and out of it.

'Finally…' he thought. The numbness that took over his body was like a wash of relief; no more worries and concerns. It was him now. Him and only him. He wasn't going to let Haley take over his mind again; she wasn't his responsibility! 'Then why can't you stop thinking about her, you fool…?' asked the voice inside of his head. He stumbled to his feet and shoved his hands into his jean pockets.

-

"Look at her…" sniggered Lucas, referring to Haley who lay almost unconscious on the floor. Dan and Anthony smirked in response and started picking up their things. "Who do you think that guy was?" Anthony asked after a while. He looked like a cartoon villain; wearing only black and he had a scar from his left eye and all the way down to his cheek. His dark brown eyes were full of nothing but anger, his short black hair sweaty and unkempt. Dan and Lucas shrugged nonchalantly, and started to walk out of the house.

"Never seen him before" Dan said as they saddled their horses. Is low and horse voice would send chills down anyone's spine, especially along with that awful glare of his. His sons; Anthony and Lucas were the only people he tolerated; but only to a certain point! NO ONE stepped over Dan Roe's line. No one. Unless, of course, if you had a death wish. This was why Haley was the only one alive of the James' family…

Lucas was, in behaviour, exactly like his father. Although he looked very little like him; he tried his best to be the spitting image of Dan. Which was why he envied his brother; Anthony. They got along, but Lucas always thought it was unfair how Dan liked him better. He was the one who got to marry Haley. He was the one who was a spitting image of Dan. He was the one who got the bigger horse.

Lucas felt the anger and jealousy swell inside of him and he quickly jumped on his horse; starting to ride and not bothering to wait for the other two. He was going to prove that he was better than Anthony. He swore that to himself. Even if it were the last thing he did…

"LUCAS!" Dan yelled as he saw his youngest son take off. He cursed him before jumping onto his own horse and riding after him. Anthony sniggered and shook his head; this was so typical of his brother. Always getting jealous… That was Lucas' problem; he let his emotions get the better of him. Anthony knew better.

-

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Dan screamed as he caught up with Lucas. "Don't you dare just ride away like that!"  
Lucas glared at him, but looked down in defeat. He knew better than to argue with his father. Everyone did. He mumbled an apology and threw a hand in the air. Anthony rode up next to him and sniggered; knowing Lucas had lost. Yet again. He could read his brother like an open book; he always had.

Nathan furrowed his brow as he opened his eyes and looked around. 'Where the hell am I?' he thought. The pounding headache he had wasn't bothering him much; it was a familiar feeling. He was used to it. He was more worried about his location, as far as he knew; he'd never been there before… Then his thoughts wondered back to last night, and he remembered… Much to his dislike. He couldn't help but to feel slightly guilty about leaving Haley, but he was also pretty mad at her for not giving him any kind of warning at all. Come on; she was married! That's a pretty big secret to keep from him.

The door of the barn creaked open, and an old, smelly man walked in. He was wearing a typical hill-billy outfit; dirty, faded jeans and a white (or more brown by now) shirt and heavy boots. The pigs grunted and started moving around, making Nathan feel very unpleasant.

"HEY! Whatcha doin' in heah, ya damn fool!" shouted the farmer as his fat face turned red and he hobbled towards Nathan, who quickly scrambled to his feet and took off out of the barn. He ran as fast as he could; still hearing the curse words the farmer was sending at him.

The guilt was still haunting him, and he found it hard not to think about Haley and those terrified screams… Then he wondered where Ziva was. The bar. She must still be outside of the bar. This led him to wonder where the hell he was, because frankly; he had no idea. He'd just wandered aimlessly last night, and obviously ended up in that godforsaken farm in the middle of nowhere.

So, on top of feeling guilty about leaving Haley, he had also abandoned his horse. He huffed and kicked a nearby stone as far as it would go. "Why am I such a screw up!?" he yelled in frustration as he started running in the direction he thought (or hoped) the town was in.

-

She moved her limp body as fast as she could; trying not to think about the terrible pain all over her. Collapsing on the floor again; she let out a small whimper. There was no way in hell she was getting up and walking; her legs hurt too much. She had bruises all down her legs and she knew from the bleeding in-between her legs that they'd damaged her severely. It hurt too much for words, but she knew she couldn't pass out. She had to be strong.

-

Anthony sniggered as he watched Lucas sulk a few yards from the little fire they'd made for themselves. Dan was already asleep and the snoring could be heard miles away. He had his cowboy hat covering his face and his hands resting on his stomach. Anthony knew he always slept like this. Except when he was passed out drunk of course. Anthony knew a lot about his father; he had spent his days learning what ticked him off, how to kiss his , all of his habits and… well, flaws.

"Oh, will you cut out the damn moping!?" Anthony hissed angrily to his brother, who just huffed in response. Dan grunted in his sleep, but didn't wake up. Lucas moved closer to Anthony, anger evident on his face.

"Why do you always get all of the best stuff?" Lucas said. Anthony rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're weak, Lucas. Look at you; behaving like some jealous girl. This is bullshit. We all know you wanted Haley, and if you stopped acting like some goddamn pansy; you might have gotten her! You're lucky we haven't kicked you out yet." Anthony replied casually, prodding the fire with a stick. He swatted a mosquito away, making it hit the fire and burn up with a sickening crackle. Lucas' eyes narrowed at his brothers' words; wanting to say something back but unable to find the right words. On some level, he knew Anthony was right. But it wasn't going to stop him from trying to be exactly like Dan. And he was determined to get Haley. Somehow.

-

Stumbling through the deserted forest; Nathan was cursing himself out loud. 'How the hell did I manage to walk so bloody far when I was completely pissed!?' he thought to himself, but trudged on nevertheless. It was midday, and the sun was on its highest, making it too damn hot to be outside. The trees provided some sort of shade, but Nathan was still sweating like a pig; his clothes drenched and his forehead dripping.

"Great, now I'm seeing things" he mumbled to himself as a clear, blue, small lake came into view a little to his left. He walked towards it though, thinking that he might as well hallucinate himself in it if he first was starting the whole hallucination thing. When he got to the edge of the water though, he found that he could hear the gentle rippling noises it made, and the cool smell of freshwater tingled in his nostrils.

Unable to help himself, he undressed quickly and dived straight into the water. The cool liquid hit his body refreshingly and soothingly; washing away the stench from the barn animals and all the terrible sweat he'd produced during the day. He swam a little, and made sure his head and hair got a throughout wash before deciding his clothes could need a washing too. He knew that it would be slightly uncomfortable walking in wet clothes, but they'd at least be clean and cool.

Finally Nathan walked into the town he'd gotten wasted in the previous night, and found that, luckily, Ziva was still there. She made a happy kick with her foot as Nathan approached her, but then turned her head away from him, as if to show that she was mad at him. Nathan chuckled and patted her mane before untying her from the banister.

"You mad at me?" he asked; trying to lead her to the water pit. She simply would not move, and held her head up and away from him. "I guess you are. Look, I'm sorry Ziva. Please forgive me and let me take you to somewhere you can get a drink of water…"  
She seemed to be considering it for a moment, before following in his lead. Nathan quickly found the hollow pit that was used for animal drinking water, and let Ziva take a good, long drink. Now that he'd made up with his horse, he needed to think about Haley. Was he still mad at her? Should he go back? And what did those guys do to her…?


	6. Chapter 6

I know

_**I know. I suck. I'm sorry for not updating in so long! Thank you ever so much for your words, they are far too kind. I really want you to say your opinion if there's anything you think I can improve :)**_

**Chapter 6**

He pulled a hand through his hair and sighed. He had to go back. Right? Yes, yes of course he had. He'd be an ass if he didn't. And my God, he could not get her out of his mind; it was like she'd moved into his bloody head! It pissed him off and intrigued him at the same time. But what if those guys were still there? He was pretty sure he could take them, but not completely… Was he willing to actually die, just for this girl? He didn't know. And unfortunately, there was only one way to find out…

He pulled on his jeans for the hundredth time that day; the water had made them sticky and uncomfortable to wear. Not to mention that they were riding up his ass. Ziva snorted, as if she were enjoying his uncomfortable ness. Like it was a punishment for leaving her alone the entire night with no one to look after her or feed her. Nathan sighed again and unbuttoned his shirt. It was sticking to his chest. In fact; everything he was wearing was sticking to him. He felt like taking the all off and going naked. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon, unfortunately.

-

She hated him. She hated all men. They were scum. Haley had decided this not long ago, After finding out that it hurt too much to get up, which meant she had had to sleep on the goddamn floor. Very uncomfortably, may I add. First, they had taken her family. Then they abused her and were cruel to her, before abandoning and threatening her. And when Nathan had come along, she'd started to gain some hope in human beings. Look where that got her; raped, beat up and abandoned. The tears poured out of her eyes; she was too tired to stop them. Too tired to hold back. Too tired to live… She was going to let them kill her. End her pain, once and for all…

-

Nathans' stomach churned as he laid eyes on the crumbling house once again. This time he knew what was inside, but he was deadly afraid of it. He felt guilty. A gut wrenching, mind blowing, heart racing sort of guilt. Because he didn't know what she'd been through, and he'd just left. Yes he was independent, but did he not have some sort of responsibility towards other people? He did, didn't he? All of his life, he'd tried to convince himself otherwise, but with those terrible screams that still rang in his ears he knew he couldn't ignore his responsibility any longer. It was time for him to step up; take a stand.

"Haley…?" he shouted nervously as he carefully stepped inside of the house. Ziva gave a low grunt from outside, and stomped her feet. She didn't like being ignored. Nathan took another step further in and gasped as he saw all of the blood pooled on the floor. Several red footprints now graced the floorboards, and there was a long, bloody trail that led to the kitchen. He followed it; dreading what he would find where the trail stopped…

-

"DAN! Wake up." Anthony yelled as he shook his father. All his life he'd called Dan by his name, never 'dad'. It was just one of the things they didn't do. Dan wasn't a dad, he just happened to be _their_ dad. Lucas had called Dan 'dad' once when he was ten; earning him a broken nose. He never made that mistake again… Anthony sniggered at the memory, and shoved Dan with his legs. "Time to wake up." he said. Dan grunted and aimed a kick at his oldest son, but Anthony was too quick for him and jumped away just in time.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, old man." he chuckled. Dan gave a half smile and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes before sitting up and scratching his crotch. Lucas was still moping; playing with the ashes from last nights' fire. Anthony simply rolled his eyes and shook his head in a disapproving matter.

Lucas eyed Anthony; still annoyed at him. Why was it so goddamn hard for the two of them to get along? They'd always been bitter enemies, and most people could hardly believe that these two were actually related. Nonetheless, they seemed to go everywhere together. They both followed Dan; wherever he happened to be, they were. And if they weren't, they were always close behind.

Dan looked from one son to the other; growling in annoyance. They could really get to him sometimes. Anthony was a good son, Lucas… not so much. He had a tendency to be more of a girlish type when it came to emotions and stuff. That boy was too easily offended. But he wasn't blind; he could tell that Lucas was trying hard to be more like Anthony. For some weird, inexplicable reason; Lucas had always looked up to his brother. Even though they never got on very well. Dan was determined to do something that would either get them closer, or make them bitter enemies…

-

Nathan walked slowly into the kitchen and found Haley unconscious and beaten to a bloody pulp on the floor. A wave of nausea hit him as his nostrils were filled with the stench of stale blood, and with the terrible image of Haley's beaten form it was enough to make him want to throw up. He made his way to her and checked her pulse. It was faint, but it was there. Never in his life had he been so relieved in his life… It would have been his fault if she'd died; he had just left her! What was he thinking!? The guilt hit him and he almost felt too terrible to stay. Almost.

He gathered her in his arms and gently carried her to the ladder. He knew this was going to be hard, but this wouldn't have happened if he'd been man enough to stay. So he swung her over his shoulder and carefully climbed the ladder. He let out a breath of relief as he reached the top and proceeded to Haley's bedroom, where he laid her cautiously on her bed. Then he climbed the ladder back down and took a moment to calm himself. This was not the time to stress out; he had to be cool and collected. For Haley.

Darting down do the basement he brought a bucket of water and then climbed the ladder back up. He knew Haley was in a bad state and as of right now; he was the only one she had. Gritting his teeth as he slowly dabbed her bleeding wounds with a wet cloth, he wondered why they had done this to her. The nightgown was removed and this time Nathan had to open the window and throw up out of it from the sight he was met with. Blood, semen and bruises was what he faced underneath the bloody cloth, and he knew there was little humanity left in the world when such terrible things could be done to someone so casually. It sickened him. He sickened himself. He had run away. Put his tail between his legs and gotten wasted because he was _offended_. He wasn't much better than those damn guys.

He gathered himself and went back to cleaning her up; tears prickling in the back of his eyes. After finishing up, he searched her closet for some new clothes. There wasn't much in there, so he picked a yellow dress and carefully slid it on her. He then pulled the covers over her and sat back against the wall.

"What the fuck have I done…?" he asked himself. He watched Haley's chest rise up and down slowly; praying to whatever God there was that it didn't stop. He sat there all night; watching her. When the sun finally rose and a beam of sunlight peeked through the window, he had dark circles under his eyes. She still hadn't moved, and he was getting slightly worried. What if she was in a coma…? He didn't know any medicine! What the hell was he supposed to do?

-

Dan smirked to himself as his plan started to take form in his head. This was good… It was going to work wonders, and he wouldn't have to do anything. He watched in pleasure as his two sons argued about the best way to start a fire. Lucas gave up after a while, and went to sulk a few yards away, whilst Anthony shook his head and smirked.

"It's just too easy sometimes…!" he muttered and shrugged. Lucas scoffed and started muttering to himself angrily. Dan shot him a disapproving look, and motioned for him to collect some more wood for the fire. Lucas agreed immediately of course, and walked off. The second he was out of earshot, Dan moved over to Anthony and sat down next to him.

"Listen son" Dan said to him. "You've always been my favourite, and I want you to take over when I'm done."

Anthony smirked. He knew this was coming, and wasn't much surprised. "Yeah Dan, of course." he said. "I always knew you liked me better."

-

Every inch of her body ached. Every muscle was sore and her skin felt like it was on fire. She whimpered, and jumped when she felt someone stroking her hair and whispering to her. Very slowly, she opened her eyes and looked straight into Nathan's. Even though it hurt, she grabbed the bed and scooted further up; to get away from him. He closed his eyes and hung his head; understanding her fear.

"I'm sorry, Haley…" he whispered. He couldn't be anything but humble to her; knowing this had been partly his fault. Tears formed in her eyes as she started to sob and her body shook. She was scared, hurt, alone and lonely…

Nathan moved closer and tried to console her, but she backed away from him. He clenched his teeth and pulled a hand through his hair. He couldn't give up. This was his fault; his responsibility. She was hurt and scared, and needed someone to be there for her. He'd show her that he could be a nice guy, and he promised himself not to abandon her again.

"I know you're mad at me, and I know you're scared. What those… vermin did to you is terrible, and I'm so sorry for just leaving you like that. Please don't be mad, I just wanna help you." He tried. She shrunk further back into the bed, and hid her head in her hands.

"Damn it, Haley!" he yelled and got up from the bed. Haley whimpered and cringed at the agitated sound in his voice. "I'm trying to help you!" Nathan said. "I'm not going to hurt you…!" he begged. Haley was still terrified, but slowly removed her hands from her face and looked up at him. Her eyes were so full of pain and confusion, it almost made Nathan cry. He'd never seen anyone with a look of such desperation before.

He walked closer to her, very slowly, and reached his hand out to hers. She didn't flinch, and he sat down on the bed with her; pulling her body close as she once again began to sob. He stroked her hair; careful not to touch any of her wounds and whispered 'It's okay…' to her again and again. He was going to let her cry it all out, God knows she deserved it…

-

Haley cried out her tears and Nathan stroked her back until she fell asleep in his arms. He gently lay her down on the bed and let a few tears escape his eyes. He had done this or her. Maybe not physically, but he hadn't stopped Dan and his spawns. He could have. He should have. But he hadn't. Now he had to make it up to her; he had to get her out of there. It had taken him almost two hours to ride into town the last time, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to take her on Ziva. Haley was terrified of horses, and if she woke up on one, she'd probably panic. Not a good idea when she was in the current predicament…

"What am I going to do...?" he whispered. Her breathing was even and steady, but Nathan was still scared she'd just… die. He knew it was stupid, but with the amount of pain and damage she'd gotten; it seemed almost a miracle she was alive at all… They had to stay. He couldn't leave her here, but he couldn't take her anywhere either. At least not without proper transportation. No, they'd just have to stay put for a while; whilst Haley healed.

The hours went by, and nothing much happened. Nathan would get some food from downstairs and return as quickly as possible. Haley would refuse to eat, but Nathan basically forced food down her throat. He tried talking to her, but a part of him knew that she probably just needed someone to be there for her.

Haley tossed and turned, murmuring and crying softly. The room was dark; the only light was a simple ray of moonlight that shone through the window. Nathan woke up immediately from his spot on the floor, and scrambled over to her bed; taking Haley in his arms and rocking her back and forth. It took him almost an hour to calm her down, and only then after he had crawled into bed with her and promised not to let her go. His arms were wrapped around her back and her head tucked into his chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and he could feel the dampness of her tears on his bare chest. Looking down at her, it was like her bruises were glaring at him; accusing him. He closed his eyes and pushed her body closer to his; wanting to take it all away. He had to.

-

"Lucas!" Dan hissed. Anthony was asleep, and Dan wanted to move onto step two of his plan. "Lucas…!" he hissed again. He stirred, and opened his eyes slowly. Dan motioned for him to move closer, before checking that Anthony was still asleep. Lucas crawled over, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"What?" he asked. Dan smirked and put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Listen Lucas, and listen good. I don't want you to go blabbing about this to Anthony, alright?" he asked. Lucas nodded, and his eyes were slightly wider. "I want you to take over when I'm not around anymore. And I think you should get Haley. I don't know, and don't care, how you do it."

Lucas nodded, taking it all in. He was basically telling him to kill his own brother, wasn't he…? But this was his chance to prove himself. And to get Haley. Once and for all…

-

As the days went by, Haley slept less, ate less and the colour in her face had drained. Black circles were under her eyes, and they were red and sore from crying. Nathan was growing more and more frustrated; not knowing what to do was killing him. She'd just sit in her bed and stare.

"Haley?" he said carefully as he stepped into her room. She jumped and he saw the terrified look on her face. "It's just me…" he soothed. "I don't know what to do anymore… You're sick, and you need care. I have to take you to town."

Her breathing escalated quickly and she panicked. Her eyes shot around the whole room, as he body begun to shake and she whimpered. Her feet tucked themselves under her body, and she sunk into the bed. Nathan took a step forward, and saw that her eyes had rolled to the back of her head, and she was shaking violently.

"That's it. I'm taking you to the village" Nathan said, nervous about what was going on. He picked her up gently and carried her downstairs. He was panicking slightly, checking every thirty seconds that she was still breathing. Ziva was sceptical at first to Haley, but quickly understood the seriousness of the situation. She was a smart horse…

"HELP! I need help!" Nathan yelled as he finally reached the town. It had taken him an hour and a half to get there, and Haley still hadn't woken up. He was really starting to worry now…

"Is there a doctor here?" he asked the nearest person, who just stared at him. He clenched his teeth in frustration and jumped off of Ziva with Haley in his arms. "Hang on…" he whispered to her. "Please, just hang on…"

A boy about thirteen approached him and tugged his shirt. Nathan looked down at him in anger and was about to dismiss him when he saw that he was pointing to a building behind him.

"There's a doctor there…" the boy said before he ran off. Nathan hurried through the door and found a woman in her fifties staring strangely at him.

"Can I help you…?" she asked. Nathan raised his eyebrows at her, wondering if perhaps she was blind. That was the only bloody way she could NOT see the girl in his arms! His temper was short, and he knew Haley needed help. Quickly. The woman looked at Haley and her eyes widened.

"Oh…" she said. "Bring her in" she motioned for him to carry her into a side room, and lay her onto a bed there.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow. I know I've been FOREVER, but I've just had no inspiration whatsoever… So I'm really sorry! The only reason there's even an update, is chicasespanola… You inspired me to write this!**

He hesitated, looked around and scratched his head.

"Is the doctor going to be here soon?" he asked, watching as the woman started to tend to Haley. She lifted her head, a stern look on her face. "I _am_ the doctor," she said. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. Nathan furrowed his brows and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

"But," he stuttered. "You're a _woman_…" His voice was a little shaky, but he blamed the situation. There was a sharp intake of breath, and her hands stilled for a moment. She pursed her lips and nodded. "I am very aware of that, _sir_. Now, would you rather go to the nearest male doctor – which would take about a day – or do you prefer that I save your wife's life?" she asked, still working on Haley's cuts. Nathan closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Please help her…"

Nathan leaned against the wall, the sun warm on his face. He couldn't bear being inside anymore, watching all the rags that piled up on the floor, covered in Haley's blood. The doctor had been working on her for almost three hours now, and he was getting nervous. Was she supposed to be unconscious so long? He breathed in slowly, the dust in the air making his throat raspy. His jeans clung to his thighs from sweat, and he only now realized how hot it really was. His mind had been too preoccupied earlier to notice, but he also discovered that he was quite thirsty.

And yet, he wasn't moving. He wasn't even sure he could. Then he heard slow footsteps coming from inside, and, despite the warmth, he felt goose bumps crawl over his skin. He was nervous; he had to admit that much. He wondered how he'd become so attached to a woman he'd never even spoken to, it wasn't like him. But he understood the importance of silence. With his job, silence was rather significant. Sure, he could talk to the animals, but they weren't exactly the best conversationalists…

"Sir?" asked the doctor. Nathan turned around and clenched his jaw as he saw her apron; covered in blood stains. She motioned for him to come in, taking a second to check for audience before letting him in. He wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans, but it only made matters worse. He got a little nervous when he couldn't see on the table, and turned to ask the doctor where she was. However, she beat him to it.

"She's upstairs, asleep. I had my son carry her up. She was pretty messed up, you know," she said, raising her eyebrows. Nathan nodded, anxious to hear what the doctor had to say about her condition. She seemed to catch on, and smiled weakly.

"She's going to be fine… I cleaned up her cuts, there doesn't seem to be any infections so far, luckily. Her right leg is fractured, but not completely broken. I'm pretty sure she has one or two broken ribs, so I bandaged her up, but I can't tell for sure without the right equipment. Aside from a concussion, she has no other serious injuries. It won't take a month before she'll be good as new."

He nodded, trying to process all the information. At least she was going to be okay… He was glad. But then the doctors' face became a little more solemn.

"Look, I don't wanna be nosy, but if you did this to her, I have to report it to the sheriff… A man hitting his wife isn't popular around here."

Nathan looked up in anger. "Look, I had nothing to do with this! We're not even married. I just… found her. Like that. So I took her here." He explained. He wasn't lying, he just wasn't telling the _whole_ truth. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, obviously satisfied with his answer. She began scribbling in her notebook, and pointed towards a door behind her.

"Go up the stairs and she's in the first door to the left. I gave her some chloroform, but she'll be awake in the next hour or two," she said, still scribbling. Nathan hesitated for a moment, nodded and slowly shuffled up the stairs. But he didn't go into the room. He wasn't sure he could. He wasn't even sure he even had the right to. Then again, he couldn't leave her here alone either. So he took a deep breath, opened the door and went inside.

Haley woke up almost two hours later, her head throbbing. She looked around in confusion, and saw a woman pouring a glass of water next to her. She blinked, trying to focus. Everything was slightly blurry and off, but after some blinking and clenching, she could see again. The woman turned towards her and gave her a quick smile.

"Good, you're awake. Drink this," she said, placing the glass to her lips. "And you'll feel better in no time. I'm sure you have an awful headache, but that'll clear up soon as well."

Haley took a sip, her throat burning as the cool liquid slithered down. She winced, but continued drinking. Then she laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. It felt like seconds later when she woke up again, but it was suddenly dark outside. There was a small ray of moonlight illuminating her room, but she could barely see. A snoring figure sat beside her bed in a chair, his head lolling to one side. She had to smile at the sight, but soon stopped. It hurt her head.

"Good morning sunshine…" came a low husky voice from beside her, as she opened her eyes and blinked at the light that was pouring through her window. She turned her head and saw Nathan towering over her, a half smile on his face and a glass of water in his hand. "Drink this," he said and handed her the glass. She took it, and with an unsteady hand, she lifted it to her lips. It didn't burn this time. It soothed.

"You had me quite worried for a second there…" he said, smiling at her. She looked up at him, a puzzled expression on her face. He sighed and looked down at his feet, scratching the back of his neck. "Look, I'm still confused. With this whole marriage thing, and what you have to do with those guys. But it's not like it's your fault. We all have our ghosts. Yours… just happen to be the more violent types…"

She nodded solemnly and turned her head to gaze out of the window. Her eyes wondered around the room; it was a small common bedroom with one window on the opposite wall of the door. It was painted light green, and the only furniture was; a bed, a nightstand and a desk. No chair. There were no curtains, and the room looked a little bare.

The door opened and the doctor came in, a small smile on her face. Haley opened her mouth, and turned towards Nathan. Her eyes pleaded with him to help her. He caught up and fumbled with his hands.

"She doesn't talk much," he said. The doctor furrowed her brows. "Actually, she doesn't talk at all."

"Why?"

"I… Well, she never really had the chance to tell me." He said; a crooked smile on his face. Samantha, the doctor, nodded and rubbed her temple. Suddenly, there was a loud crash downstairs, making everyone jump. More banging. More crashing. Someone was thundering up the stairs.


End file.
